Convergence: The Last of Us Season 2 Finale Review

And just like that, The Last of Us season 2 takes an action-packed, tragedy-filled bow.

The season finale, “Convergence,” brings it all together — Ellie and her crew, the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), and the Seraphites. Ellie’s quest for vengeance and journey through grief culminate in an hourlong thrill ride through the literal elements, leaving a trail of bodies in the aftermath. Has justice been delivered for Joel? Here’s hoping Ellie will eventually make peace with Abby getting to live, as Uncle Tommy puts it.

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Ellie and Dina

In episode five, “Feel Her Love,” Dina takes an arrow to the leg from the Seraphites in the park, so Jesse rushes her back to the theater to administer first aid. Meanwhile, Ellie confronts Nora in the spore-riddled corridors of level B2 in the hospital. As teased earlier in the season, the Cordyceps infection has evolved, now becoming airborne. Of course, Ellie is immune regardless of how the virus manifests.

Upon returning to the theater in “Convergence,” Ellie finally discloses the truth behind why Abby killed Joel. This clearly drives a wedge between Ellie and Dina. Sure, it goes without saying that Dina is glad Ellie is alive.

However, Dina now must reckon with Ellie leading them into the lion’s den, so to speak, after Joel massacred the remainder of the Fireflies. On top of that, Dina obviously loved Joel, as did everyone in Jackson. Now, add in a third layer: Dina is pregnant. Let’s sprinkle in a fourth for good measure — Ellie withheld this information from her. Isabela Merced navigates these nuances so beautifully here. You can see the wheels turning in Dina’s head.

As for Bella Ramsey, they convey Ellie’s conflicted feelings with aplomb and grace. You can see it the moment after Ellie tells Dina — the truth weighing on the latter like a ton of bricks — that she wonders what will become of their relationship. Will Dina still love her after this? How will this alter their dynamic in season 3?

“Convergence” reassures us that while our lovebirds will have to weather the oncoming storm, figuratively and literally (especially since Jesse is dead), it shouldn’t tear them apart (I hope).

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Ellie and Jesse

So much of The Last of Us — I’d argue the crux of the story, really — is about relationships. Ellie and Jesse’s dynamic has always fascinated me, and I’m grateful that the season finale fleshes this out a bit. It also gives them closure before Abby shoots Jesse (RIP). Side note: I’m glad that Jesse has answered the most important question in the history of questions, which is that, yes, Shimmer is okay. I repeat: Shimmer is okay.

Ellie and Jesse engage in a debate about their respective moral compasses. Jesse tells her a story about falling for a woman who made a pit stop in Jackson before heading to Mexico. He decided to stay to protect the people of Jackson, realizing his destiny involved assuming Maria’s position someday. He puts others’ needs before his own, which includes following Ellie and Dina to Seattle to save them.

Conversely, Ellie is consumed by anger and a desire for revenge. Understandably so. As Ellie eloquently and heartbreakingly puts it, her whole “community” died the day Abby beat Joel to death.

The episode delivers satisfying payoff and growth, however short-lived, regarding Ellie and Jesse’s bond. Jesse realizes how important Ellie is to Dina and doesn’t begrudge her for it. There are different kinds of love, and that’s okay. Hats off to Young Mazino, in particular, who offers an understated, layered performance as Jesse.

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An Issue of Morality

This all begs the question: What is morality in this new world? Of the two, who is an objectively better person: Ellie or Jesse? “Convergence” endeavors to answer these questions. Most would unequivocally side with Jesse, who, yes, is a textbook good person. However, this is a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world now. Survival is key. One could argue that Ellie’s determination to defend her circle, no matter how small it is, qualifies her as a good person.

Exhibit A: Ellie and Jesse watch in horror as WLF soldiers capture and torture a young Seraphite. Ellie instinctively moves to save him without a second thought, while Jesse prevents her from springing into action. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few for Jesse. We could insert the trolley problem in this instance — does Ellie save the Seraphite kid and potentially put the whole Seattle group under fire, or does she leave him to the Wolves to protect her people?

The season finale deftly explores the concept of morality and how easily the line can get blurred, even in real life. Many of these characters treat life as black and white, allowing little room for gray, when in reality, it’s so much more nuanced than that.

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This Is Not Our War

At one point, Jesse tells Ellie that this isn’t their war. Let the Wolves and the Scars kill each other. This really speaks not only to the time these characters live in, but also to today’s world. It’s so easy to think of oneself as an island, that one’s survival takes precedence over all. Even when you might have the resources to lend a helping hand, it’s challenging to set aside those resources, knowing what it could cost you down the road.

There’s an intriguing dichotomy between the WLF and the Seraphites, but only in terms of what they represent thematically. In reality, they’re two sides of the same coin at this point. What they formerly represented has been lost in a raging sea of violence. The WLF are the police state, militaristic tyrants who believe that exerting strength is true power. Then, you have the Seraphites, religious zealots who take a primitive approach to punishment. The impact of violence reverberates, even tangentially.

The season finale finally brings Isaac back into the fold. He tells Elise there’s a good chance neither of them will survive the night, and he believes Abby is the future in terms of WLF leadership. There’s almost a dissociation from the possibility of death in this conversation. Isaac and Elise seem hardened, desensitized to it. This is their war, and they understand it’s bigger than either of them. Jeffrey Wright has only appeared in two episodes this season, but he commands the screen every time he’s on it. He’s a compelling presence.

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What Makes a Monster?

Seriously, what makes a monster? The series has grappled with this question since, well, the beginning. However, Abby killing Joel because he slaughtered several people solidifies it as a focal point of season 2. Ellie herself struggles with this in her grief. She loves Joel and was willing to forgive him before he was murdered. All season, she tries to reconcile with the atrocities Joel committed to save her while loving her father figure for who he was.

There’s an interesting contrast — we watch Ellie beat Nora as Abby did Joel, although, ultimately, Nora became infected. Dina declares that Nora deserved it, but Ellie voices an opinion to the contrary: Maybe Nora didn’t deserve that ending. She feels remorseful for beating Nora. Ellie tries to persuade herself that she’s not a monster. Does she do “a little bit better” than Joel, as he had hoped? I believe so, at least in that we see her question her choices out loud.

Later, when confronting Owen and Mel, Ellie insists she won’t kill them because she’s not like them. However, Owen attempts to shoot her (a dumb mistake on his part), so Ellie must defend herself. She inadvertently kills them both. Mel begs Ellie to cut her baby out of her, obviously reminding Ellie of Dina and her pregnancy. It hits painfully close to home. On a performance note, Ariela Barer knocks Mel’s death scene out of the park. It’s a punch to the gut.

Monsters Aren’t That Simple

In the end, Abby finds Ellie, takes out Jesse, and threatens to do the same to Tommy. Ellie admits to killing Abby’s friends and that Joel murdered the Fireflies to save her. She’s who Abby wants. Abby justifies what she’s about to do next. In episode 2, she allowed Ellie to live, but in her eyes, the latter wasted that second chance at life. “Convergence” concludes Ellie’s season 2 arc on that white-knuckled cliffhanger.

So, let’s modify that first question. Is Ellie a monster? Is Abby a monster? Or are they products of their environment, shaped and molded by their circumstances? Answer: They’re human, and everything that encompasses, in all its complexities, layers, and messiness. Both are traumatized young people who had to grow up far too quickly, and, let’s face it, don’t know how to self-regulate.
These flawed humans and their choices make for damn entertaining television.

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What are your thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Last of Us?

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